Heaven Is In Sight
by junealii
Summary: When Hotch receives a letter that reveals a plot for revenge against him, will the team be able to figure it out before it's too late?  And can they help Hotch escape when a fatal step leaves his life hanging in the balance?
1. Prologue

_For the longest time, I haven't had the energy or desire to write even though I have certain people pushing me to do so, but hopefully now that I have started writing again, I will stay in the swing of it and crank out loads of stories that are floating around in my head. Anyways, I have been toying with the idea for this story for a while now and finally it came together. And just so you all know I haven't neglected my other stories, I'm gonna try to get a lot written before I go back to school in the fall and probably won't have time. _

_And you all can skip the mushy part that follows, if you want. But I have to say thanks to my Mom who kept pushing me to write and who wouldn't let me give up on this story and for being the best Beta a person could ever have! So this story is for you and for Becky, cause without you guys, I would be insane plus you guys told me that I better post this story. _

_So here it is, just a short prologue to short things off._

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><p>Taking a deep breath, Aaron Hotchner glanced down at his foot that was currently holding down a tripwire. Letting out the breath, Hotch closed his eyes as Morgan notified the agents in the area, that they had reached the five minute mark. Opening his eyes, Hotch glanced over at Morgan who with sweat beading on his forehead was trying his best to diffuse the bomb.<p>

"Morgan, just forget it.", Hotch said sternly trying his best to hide his fear. "You won't be able to get to safety if you don't get out soon."

"Hotch, I'm not gonna leave you man. I'm gonna diffuse this, and we are gonna walk out of here together." Morgan said as he continued to work on the bomb.

**4:00 minutes…  
><strong>Hotch frowned as Morgan let out a frustrated breath. Time was slowly drawing to a close and Hotch was going to die while all of his friends stood safely and watched. Glancing at the clock, Hotch watched the as little red numbers got smaller and smaller, inching him closer to his undeniable death.

**3:50 minutes…**

Not only had his son lost his mother but now his father. Closing his eyes, Hotch thought about how he had failed his son, his ex-wife, his team. He had let them all down. Nothing could change what fate had planned for him.

**3:40 minutes…**

Only ten seconds had passed once Hotch opened his eyes again. Hotch stood quietly as he watched quite a few agents slip out of the room towards safety. He couldn't help but glance over at Morgan- just waiting on him to walk away and leave him alone to die.

**3:30 minutes…**

"Morgan, please, just go. You need to get out of here. You tried; it's okay," Hotch said, keeping his emotions deeply under wraps.

"I'm not gonna let you die, Hotch," Morgan growled, glancing over at his boss.

"Morgan, there isn't much time left; someone needs to lead the team once I'm gone."

**3:20 minutes…**

"Get to safety, Morgan, before it's too late." Hotch said in a stern voice.

"I'm not doing it Hotch," Morgan replied sharply.

"Do I need to make it an order?" Hotch said as Morgan shook his head.

**3:10 minutes…**

Neither of the two men said anything as time continued to countdown in little red numbers before both of their eyes. Time was barely moving as Hotch started to think about his team. He had failed them; he put them all in trouble while he selfishly searched for George Foyet. He had failed as a leader.

**3:00 minutes…**

His mind focused on her: Penelope Garcia, the woman who deserved so much more than a broken, damaged man. But for some reason, unknown to him, she wanted him. Besides his son, Garcia was the only light that shone in his life. And he had let her down as a man.

**2:50 minutes…**

He failed as a leader, as a man and as a father. If he couldn't even protect himself, how could he protect any of them? After Foyet's attack, he found himself seeking comfort from one Penelope Garcia. He knew that he shouldn't have let himself get in deep with her, but something about her drew him in.

**2:40 minutes...**

Reaching into his pocket, Hotch pulled out his cell phone. He knew that making a call could set off the bomb, but he needed to tell her something. He couldn't let himself die with telling her.

"Derek?" Hotch asked as the expression on Morgan's face softened at Hotch's vulnerability. "Is it possible for me to talk to Garcia?" Without question, Morgan tossed his radio over to Hotch.

**2:30 minutes…**

This isn't how he wanted to tell her. She deserves so much better than this, but Hotch needed for her to know. Feeling the weight of the radio in his hand, Hotch gave Derek a sad look as he lifted the radio to his lips.

"Garcia?" Hotch said with a harsh voice thick with emotion.

"Yes sir."

"There's something I need to tell you."

**2:20 minutes… **

"With all due respect boss man, I think you should just tell me when you get back to the office," Garcia said softly.

"Garcia, you know that I'm not gonna make it."

"But you will! Morgan will diffuse the bomb and both of my babies will come home safely to me."

**2:10 minutes…**

"Penelope, I need to tell you…"

"Save it Aaron."

"Let me speak…"

"Tell me when you get back."

**2:00 minutes…  
><strong>  
>"2 minutes. Derek, get out of here. That's a direct order," Hotch said through clenched teeth. He tried not to watch as his life was reduced to a clock.<p>

"I think I got it this time. Oh shit!" Morgan said as he held two wires in his hands. Hotch sent a look of panic in Morgan's direction as the small red numbers started to countdown twice as fast.

"Morgan! Get out now!" Hotch yelled. The memory of the New York explosion raced through his mind. It had hurt, but he wasn't expecting it, but this was going to be different; there was going to be pain. He just hoped it was over before he could feel it.

"No, I almost got it!" Morgan's fingers fumbled for the wires. Twice he tried to grab hold. On the third attempt he made it. Now if he could only remember what the purple wire meant. _Think Derek. Think. Red is you're dead, blue is you're cool. Yellow is mellow. Purple is…That's it!_

"Aaron! What's happening?" Penelope voice screamed through the radio. "Someone say something!"

The sound of an explosion was her only answer.

Then silence.


	2. Chapter 1

_This chapter sets up for everything that is gonna happen over the course of this story, so keep your eyes peeled! _

_**The first part of this chapter has a heavy T rating for some good lovin'. You have been warned.**_

_And thanks to everyone who reviewed or alerted this story. And a special thanks to my mom cause without her awesome beta skills and her methods full of madness, I wouldn't have even finished writing this chapter yet. :D_

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><p><em><strong>5 days earlier...<strong>_

As sunlight poured into the room, Penelope Garcia leaned back against the hard, warm body next to hers. Rubbing her eyes, she glanced over her shoulder at a sleeping Aaron Hotchner. His hair was slightly ruffled and stuck out in contrast against the pale blue sheets. Stretching, he wrapped his arms around her waist and gently pulled her closer.

"Good Morning" She whispered with a shy smile as she turned in his arms to face him. Reaching up, he brushed a thick strand of blonde hair behind her ear as she pushed herself even closer against him.

"Morning" he replied as he leaned down and placed a soft kiss on her lips. Stretching her body against his, she smiled as he groaned softly. She couldn't help the smile that crept across her face as she felt his fingertips caress her arms before running through her hair. His other hand slid across her abdomen before resting softly on her hips.

Garcia closed her eyes and moaned softly as Hotch's hands began to work their way under his discarded shirt that she managed to slip into at some point during the night.

"So beautiful." Hotch mumbled as he leaned down to kiss her neck. Sliding his hand from her silky hair, he cupped her heavy breasts, running his thumbs across her nipples. She arched into his touch, whimpering slightly. She wrapped her legs around his waist as his name tumbled from her lips. Grinding her body against his, she could help but smile when she heard him groan. Threading her fingers through his hair, Garcia groaned as Hotch's lips moved down her jaw.

"Aaron, please." Garcia pleaded when his lips halted above her collarbone.

"Patience, Penny." Hotch whispered, his hands making quick work of the buttons on the front of the shirt. Leaning down, he gently kissed her lips before his lips went to follow his previous path.

"Just stop teas-"she tried to plead but all thoughts flew out the window when his lips captured her nipple. His hand came up to cup her other breast, kneading gently. Running her hands down his back, she felt the muscles and contours beneath her hands, committing all to memory.

"Aaron…" She moaned as his hand moved from her breast down her body. "Please, I can't take it," she pleaded breathlessly when his hand slipped between her legs and he teased her unmercifully.

"Soon, Pen. I promise," he replied against her breast before pressing a soft kiss to her neck and then to her lips.

When he finally gave her what she wanted, neither of them could stop the moans that tumble from their lips. Garcia groaned his name as he set an antagonizingly slow pace. Dropping his head to the crook of her neck, he began to increase his pace only to be spurred on by the sounds falling from Garcia's lips.

"Aaron…" she groaned as he continued to draw her closer to the edge. Increasing his pace, his hand slipped between their bodies, quickly causing her to cry out in pleasure as she toppled over the edge with him following right behind her.

As their breathing evened out, Garcia lifted her head to look at the man beside her, while his fingers traced random patterns across her back.

"We should probably start getting ready." Hotch said softly, as he brushed a stray curl behind her ear.

"5 more minutes?" she asked.

"5 more minutes," he echoed with a smile.

xxxxxxx

Hotch straightened his tie as he headed through the bullpen towards his office. The only other person in the bullpen besides him was Reid, who was throwing back cups of coffee as though his life depended on it. Muttering their greetings to each other, Hotch continued his trek towards his office.

Glancing down from his office, Hotch watched as his team slowly filed into the bullpen and began working on the paperwork that was scattered across their desks. A frantic knock on Hotch's door broke his focus.

"Agent Hotchner, I'm sorry to bother you," Anderson began, "but this envelope was delivered for you." He laid the envelope on the desk. Immediately upon seeing the envelope, void of any other writing besides his name, Hotch went into high alert.

"Who delivered this?" Hotch demanded. His voice was tight with fear and anger.

"It was dropped off at the security desk by a delivery man. We had it tested for any threats. It's clear, sir," Anderson responded.

"Thank you, Anderson," Hotch said as the agent turned on his heel and left Hotch alone with the mysterious envelope.

Minutes continued to pass as Hotch stared down at the envelope in front of him. If he had learnt anything in all his years at the FBI, he knew that whatever was inside that envelope couldn't be good. Mustering up the courage, he finally tore the seal and pulled out the single sheet of crisp white paper.

Only 6 words were neatly printed on the pristine piece of paper. And those 6 words were words that made Hotch's blood run cold.

Feeling the blood drain from his face, Hotch clutched the paper in his hand as he dashed out of his office and onto the catwalk.

"My team! War room! Now" Hotch said, his voice full of rage as he rushed towards the room.

xxxxxxx

Pacing the floor in front of the table, Hotch watched as his team quickly filled in and took seats at the round table.

"JJ said that we didn't have any cases," Morgan said as soon as everyone was in the room.

"We don't. We need to figure out we sent me this," Hotch's voice dripped with anger as he tossed the letter into the center of the table. Gritting his teeth, Hotch watched as Rossi grabbed the note, glancing over it with a look of pure terror on his face before he read the note aloud.

"_You should have made the deal_," Rossi read aloud, as looks of fear and anger crossed his teammates' faces.

"Is this someone's idea of a sick joke?" Morgan said through clenched teeth.

"That's what I want you guys to help me find out," Hotch stated, before turned his attention to the brightly colored tech sitting directly to his left with a look of terror in her eyes.

"Garcia, I want you to pull video feeds from the lobby and run facial recognition software on the delivery man that dropped this off." Before he had even finished his instructions, Garcia had already pulled the feed and isolated the face of the delivery man and began to run it through any and every database she could think of.

Her love for the man standing next to her fueled the fire that caused her fingers to fly across the keyboard.

"I got it!" she exclaimed. "His name is Garrett Watkins and I already sent his address to your phones."

"Thanks, Beautiful," Morgan called out.

"Go get him, my darlings," she whispered as the team rushed from the room and towards the parking garage.


	3. Chapter 2

_Sorry for the looong wait between chapters! Now that my muse has returned from vacation, hopefully, I will be able to crank out a bunch of chapters for all the stories that I am working on and get them close to being finished before school starts on the 23rd, because after that my updates will most likely be sporadic and weekly at best. And I have to say thanks to everyone who reviewed and favorited this story because this is my baby and it means alot to me. _

**Now one more important thank you**: **I have to give a big thanks to my super awesome Mother and Beta, flashpenguin, because this chapter was all her doing, this was her chapter, I am lucky enough that she is letting me use it in my story. Without her, this chapter would still be a blank document in Word. :D**

Without further ado, on to the story!

* * *

><p>Saying that Aaron Hotchner was furious would have been an understatement. And it was taking everything he had to keep it under control, but there was no doubt about his mood by the look on his face. Once again his life and loved ones were being threatened and he would be damned to hell if he didn't try to stop it from going too far. This time, if he had to, he was going to lay his life down to protect his loved ones. If it was the last thing he did.<p>

Grabbing Garrett by the shoulder, Hotch lead the man into the first interrogation room. Opening the door, the cold air rushed against his skin. It was cold. Good. It was going to help get the answers he needed. "Sit down!" Hotch barked angrily as he shoved the man roughly towards the chair. Following shortly behind Hotch, Rossi closed the door and leaned against the wall as the man scrambled towards the chair.

"I don't know what I did...or what this is about," the man stuttered. Looking around the room, he took in the sound proof walls and one way mirror. "I don't know..." He said as he glanced at the two older men staring down on at him with anger written across their expressions.

"You know what this is about," Hotch spat and leaned across the table.

"I - I don't. You busted down my door. I never...I don't...I mean, I found that military ID on the ground, but I was going to turn it in." His eyes darted left to right. It was for sure he was nervous and hiding something. But what?

"Dammit, don't lie to me! You know what this is about," Hotch growled as he slammed his fist against the table. Stepping forward, Rossi placed his hand on the younger man's shoulder trying to get him to calm down. Shaking off Rossi's hand, Hotch stepped around the table and stood beside the man.

Fear clawed at the man. "I don't know anything I swear."

"Stop playing games with us, Garrett."

"I don't know what you're talking about."

"I don't have time for this," Hotch spat as he turned on his heel and stormed out the room. The sound of the slamming door reverberated through the cold room as Rossi approached the table.

"Garrett, all you have to do is tell me who told you to deliver the letter?" Rossi said as he took a seat across from the visibly shaken man.

"I don't know. This guy just approached me and told me that he would give me $200 if I delivered the letter to the FBI."

"Did you get a name?" Rossi asked with an arched eyebrow.

"No, he handed me the package and then the money. I thought about not delivering the letter, but he just stood across the street watching."

"What'd he look like?"

"Uh- Clean shaven. 40's. I'd guess about 5'7, a little on the heavy side. He had on a ball cap and sunglasses, so I couldn't really make out much else," Garrett said, shaking his head as he watched Rossi stand up and exit the room.

xxxxxxxxxx

Hotch was beyond livid as he stormed down the hallway towards Garcia's office. Not even bothering to knock, he pushed open the door before slamming it loudly behind him. Spinning around quickly in her chair at the startling noise, she glanced up sharply to face her visitor. Striding forward with determination in steps, Hotch approached the analyst.

"Garcia," he said harshly, "did you find anything on Watkins yet?"

"Not yet, sir. I'm still looking," Garcia said, slightly shaken by the harshness in Hotch's voice.

"We need something now."

"I'm working as fast as I can."

"That's not good enough."

"Get out," Garcia spat as she pointed her brightly painted fingernail towards the door. "I don't storm into your office, and tell you how to do your job Aaron. "

"I-…" Hotch started.

"Get out," Garcia demanded. She watched Hotch storm out of her office, the door slamming shut and the sound ringing in her ears as she turned back to her computer.

xxxxxxxx

Garcia marched into the war room. Her arms clutched the file folders tightly...more tightly than necessary, but she was still pissed. She could handle bloody images on her monitor and reading the history of victims' lives, but being yelled at for not doing her job - well, that is where she drew the line. Aaron Hotchner may be the great profiler in the BAU, but the lair was still her territory.

Her stiletto heels made a sharp clicking sound as she approached the room where the team sat waiting for news. Stepping inside, she barely glanced at Hotch as she handed the folders out. "I compared the hand writing samples and it came up with no matches in ViCAP."

"What about ...?" Morgan started.

"I already checked IAFIS and NCIC; both were negative for fingerprints or DNA," Garcia finished.

"You are on top of things today, Baby Girl," Morgan said as Garcia glanced in Hotch's direction just to notice his jaw visible clench. _Oh shit_, Hotch thought as he quickly glanced over the file folder than Garcia had handed him, _she is pissed. You really fucked up again, Aaron._

"Garrett Watkins is not our UNSUB," Rossi stated drawing the attention his way. "He was just a pawn. I talked to him; he's not smart enough to pull something like this off."

"I agree with Rossi," Hotch said. "So if he's not our UNSUB, who is?"

"Whoever, it is, is toying with you. Obviously, our UNSUB knows about Foyet. And he knew they actually the letter would have you," Emily remarked.

"Okay, victimology," Morgan started, "Why target Hotch?"

Groaning softly to himself, Hotch ran his hand over his face, he didn't want to listen to the team as they dug through his life. Glancing over at Garcia, Hotch saw the unshed tears collecting in her eyes as she listened to the team dissect the life of the man she deeply cared about. Looking at the terror etched across her face, Hotch couldn't let this discussion continue.

"Guys, we aren't going to get anything new tonight. Go home, get some rest. I'll see you all first thing in the morning," Hotch said as he watched his team gather up their belongings and head towards the door. Clutching the file in his hand, he quickly went to his office, shoving the file and other contents into his briefcase before heading down the hallway towards Garcia's office.

Knocking softly, he listened for her voice to respond, when no response reached his ears, he gently pushed open the door. Hotch frowned when he noticed her sitting at her computers, her shoulders shaking as soft sobs flooded the room. Closing the door behind him, Hotch cautiously approached her before kneeling down in front of her.

"Penny, I am so sorry that I snapped at you," Hotch started as Garcia lifted her hand to wipe away her tears before looking at the man in front of her. "I shouldn't have criticized your work, we are lucky to have you as a part of this team. I'm lucky to have you." He whispered softly, his hands moving to frame her face. Garcia's lip trembled from anger and hurt. Meeting Hotch's eyes, she blinked back the tears.

"Sometimes, Aaron, I really hate you."

"I know."

"No, I mean I really hate you to where I could make you disappear for good."

"I wouldn't doubt it."

"Don't you ever forget it. You ever hurt me again, I will make sure Aaron Hotchner is a mere footnote in the annals of the FBI history manual. And I stress _mere._"

"I wouldn't dream of hurting you, Penelope," Hotch said softly before pushing his lips to hers in a sweet kiss.

"Take me home?" Garcia whispered against his lips.

"Let's go," he said, standing up and holding out his hand for her. Lacing their fingers together, Garcia smiled up at Hotch as she grabbed her purse and they walked out of the BAU, together.

xxxxxxxxx

It was supposed to be difficult getting back into the groove of things, but actually it was just like riding a bike. Of course, that didn't mean he didn't have his doubts right before the knife went in. The whimper from behind the duct tape that muffled the screams of anguish had made him wonder if he wasn't pushing the envelope by starting with the least obvious first. But as that warm rush of blood ran over his hands, he knew that he was back in the game. He had almost shouted for joy as he watched the light go out of his victim's eyes that were focused on the two cowering figures in the far corner of the room.

He couldn't stop there…not when the temptation was calling for him. Two girls. Two chances to make up for lost time. He could make it last for so long…as long as he could. Thank God for duct tape and double paned glass. There were some things you could only get on the outside of a prison wall.

Finishing, he relished in the pleasure of silencing his last two victims with a shot to the head. He could have let them live. The trauma alone would have been his cheer of victory. But that's not how he worked. He had a mission to complete. A score to settle. He needed to right two wrongs by the person who had taken it all away.

Washing up in the kitchen sink, he looked around. He had learned a lot from his years in prison - too much time and a library helped him hone his skills. It was amazing what one could learn from books. But the placement of the bodies was going to be enough to throw Agent Hotchner off his trail for a while. With any luck, they would concentrate on the ex husband for a time. But at least this kill was going to knock the bastard's world off its axis.

That was all he needed to make sure the next kill scared the hell out of him.

Looking in the mirror, he caught his reflection and smiled.

"It's good to be back," he said out loud to himself. And then he nodded.


	4. Chapter 3

**First of all, I have to say thanks to all those who left lovely reviews, and those who alerted this story, you guys rock! And secondly, this chapter was totally all thanks to the super amazing flashpenguin. Who has this weird way of getting inside my head and finishing a chapter if I can't find the words to fit what is running around in my head. And this is a prime example of her creepy talent to get into my head and put the contents of my head onto paper. Anyways, she's awesome, she rocks and I love her. That's all.**

**Now onward to the story!**

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><p><em>The haze lifted and Penelope found herself standing before a pair of large oak doors. Just beyond the doors, the sound of soft hymns filled the air. Standing in the empty foyer, she quickly scanned her surroundings. White lilies captured her eye. Placed strategically on either side of the door they seemed so innocent, but she knew they were lying. There was death beyond the doors. <em>

_Casting her gaze towards the floor, she noticed the more conservative black dress that fell just below the knees, and simple black pumps. The normally bright colored tech quickly realized the morbidity of the situation. It had to be a dream! She never wore black - not since her parents' funeral and Haley Hotchner's. Where was she?_

_Pressing her shaking hand against the heavy door, she quietly stepped into the back of the church. She had had this same dream for years since her parents death, but the first thing she noticed once she stepped inside was the lone casket at front surrounded by dozens of varying arrangements of flowers. There should be two. What happened to the other one? Had her wishful thinking led her to arrange the funeral to believe that one of her parents had lived?_

_Making her way down the aisle, the soft clicking of her heels caused the other guests to turn in her direction and cast a small sad smile her way. Quickly scanning the crowd, she searched for a familiar face but none were found. Even in her dream, she broke out in a sweat as her heart began to beat furiously._

_As she approached the casket, she noticed a small table covered with pictures. Passing the last pew of people, Penelope stood alone at the altar in front of the single casket. Stepping towards the table, her heart beating louder with every step, her heart beating so loud that it has drown out the sounds of weeping and soft music, the only thing she could hear was her heart and her labored breathing as she reached the table. _

_Taking a deep breath, she glanced down at the table full of pictures - memories of the life that had ended. Her heart stopped as she noticed a picture of her team - her family - on the table. Averting her gaze as a tear slipped from her eye. Her eyes fell upon the largest picture on the table. Unprepared for what she saw, she couldn't help the sob that escaped her lips._

"_No!" She wept. "No!" _

_Grabbing the picture in her hand, she traced familiar brown eyes with her finger. She lingered over the familiar lips as her tears fell against the glass of the picture frame. Her sobs drowned out the music as the realization of the moment dawned on her._

_Clutching the picture to her chest tightly, she closed her eyes. "Aaron" she whispered as she turned towards the casket and wept._

Sitting up straight in bed, Pen frantically looked around the dark room as she tried to get her bearings. Where was she? Where was Aaron?

_Aaron! Oh God!_

Frightened, she reached out for the warm body beside her. _Where was he?_ her brain screamed as she touched the mattress. Suddenly her hands found the familiar lump she had come to associate with security.

"Aaron," she whispered on a sob. Cautiously, she placed her hand on his heart…and waited. "Please," she begged under her breath. "Please." As she felt his heart pound, her tears flowed fast. He was alive. It was only a dream. Just a dream.

"Penny?" Hotch murmured in his sleep. "Are you alright?"

"Yes," she wept.

"What's wrong?" he asked. He tried to shake off the deep slumber as his arms reached for the sobbing woman.

"Nothing."

He pushed himself up into a sitting position. "Come here," he offered and opened his arms. Willingly, she threw herself into them and held on for dear life. Tenderly, he stroked her hair. "Tell me what happened."

"I had a nightmare."

"What about?" he asked. Pen shook her head violently. "What ever it was, was enough to upset you. Tell me about it." Silence. "Was it your parents' funeral?" he wondered.

"Yes. No. It was a funeral."

"Whose funeral?" he asked. Pen's sobs increased. "Was it mine?"

"Yes," she wept.

"It was just a dream," he comforted.

Pen pushed herself up to look at him. Between the dark room and her nearsightedness, Hotch's face was a blur, but she knew his eyes. "It wasn't a dream! It was a premonition!"

"Did you actually see my body?" he asked.

"No," she admitted. "There were pictures beside the casket."

"So, you don't know for sure it was me in there."

"But it was real!" she argued. "I felt it when I walked into the church. You were…gone."

"Penny…"

"It was that same feeling I got when I heard about the bombing in New York. But this time it was stronger. You died, Aaron." She didn't try to hide the tears that fell on to his chest.

"Nothing is going to happen," he stated firmly.

"It was so real. I felt it."

"I know," he soothed.

"I've been there; I know what it's like. Something is going to happen…I know it. This guy, who is after you, is going to do something to take you away from me."

Hotch shook his head. "That isn't going to happen. Not ever."

"You've cheated death twice," she reminded. "The third time is never a charm."

"Actually, I've cheated death three times," he admitted.

"When?" She searched her brain for the information she should have had ready.

"When I was fifteen, I was out driving with my friends. We were in a jeep and I was driving. I was going too fast and rounded a corner…the jeep flipped over and we were thrown out."

"Oh my god, Aaron," she gasped as her hand flew to her mouth.

"The jeep rolled over on me, but it happened so fast that it didn't hurt me. I had some bumps and bruises, but I survived. That was the first, New York was the second, and Foyet was the third. I have passed the test; nothing is going to happen."

"That was supposed to bring me comfort?" her voice cracked.

"It is supposed to let you know that superstitions aren't always right. Whatever is happening right now is not connected to my past. We will find out who is behind the letters, and when we find him, everything will go back to normal." He stroked her soft blonde hair. There was so much he wanted to tell her, but now was not the time as her tears dropped on his bare chest. Instead, he tried to comfort her as he memorized the feel of her body pressed to his.

"But I felt it," she stated firmly.

"That doesn't mean it's going to come true," he corrected. "You know that dreams are the brain's way of working things out."

"But it was real." She sighed and closed her eyes. She couldn't shake that feeling but for right now his arms were wrapped around her tightly and she was safe. But most of all, Aaron was alive. "Now go back to sleep," he ordered.

"I love you, Aaron," she whispered as she drifted off.

The words danced on Hotch's lips, he wanted to say them, but he couldn't. And as Pen's light snoring reached his ears, somehow it didn't matter anymore.

But he hoped one day he could say them before it was too late.


	5. Chapter 4

_Just a short bridge chapter. I know. I hate them too. _

_But I plan on having the next chapter written today and posted either tonight or tomorrow._

* * *

><p>After his conversation with Penelope in the early hours of the morning, Hotch was wide awake. His mind struggling with the idea that maybe Penelope was right. Something in Hotch's gut didn't feel right, like just maybe this case was going to end badly somehow. As he lay in the dark, he stared at the ceiling and tried to push those thoughts out of his head. He tried, instead, to focus them on the woman tucked comfortably into his side. His thoughts drifted to the woman lying beside him; he fell into a restless sleep.<p>

The ringing of his cell phone pulled him from his sleep. Blindly, he reached for the offending phone, trying his best not to disturb the other two people sleeping in the house.

"Hotchner." he greeted, his voice harsh from sleep. Disentangling his body from Pen's sleeping form, sitting up in bed, he listened to voice on the other end of the line.

"What? When?...Okay, I'll be there in an hour. Have you done the recall? Thanks," he said as he swung his legs over the side of the bed and tossed his phone to the foot of the mattress.

"What's wrong?" Pen asked as she lazily rubbed her eyes.

"There's been a murder," Hotch answered flatly.

"Where? When?" Pen asked, immediately waking up at the news.

"Police got the call not too long ago." Hotch stated as he reached for his clothes and started getting dressed. "It's pretty bad. A family of four was murdered."

Pen covered her mouth, although it did nothing to block the gasp that came out of her mouth. "There were children involved?" Pen asked softly.

"I don't know." Hotch said, shaking his head. "I have to get to the crime scene. The team has been called in." He informed her as he buttoned the last few buttons on his dress shirt, before reaching for his tie. Knotting his tie, his brain flashed back to when Haley had been in the bed, the same way Pen was when the call for the potential mall massacre had come in.

"They should be calling you in, any minute," he continued vaguely.

At that moment, her phone rang causing her to groan. Answering it, she replied shortly and then hung up. "It's official; the night is over," she said as she got up and put on her robe.

"Take your time Penny. You don't have to be in right away. Take a few."

"I can drop Jack off at Jess's for you," she offered. The forlorn look was not lost to her. "What?" she asked him.

"Haley hated early morning calls," he answered softly.

Pen snorted. She should be kinder to the woman who was Jack's mother, but she remembered the hell that Haley had put Hotch thru before their marriage ended, and it made her blood run hot.

"I'm not Haley. I know what your job entails; I see the same things every day." She stepped closer to him. "You need to catch the bad guys. I get that. I truly do and as long as you come back to me in one piece, I will be happy." She leaned up and kissed him. "The job is a part of who you are. Don't you forget it either, Mister."

Hotch kissed her quickly. "Pen, I…" The phone rang again. He checked the caller Id: Rossi.

"Shit. He always calls at the worst times," Hotch said groaning, causing Pen to chuckle as she brushed his cowlick back.

"Now answer that before Agent Hard Ass puts two and two together," she quipped. "I'll see you later." She stepped into the adjoining bathroom and closed the door.

Hotch flipped open his phone and spoke: "Dave. Where are you…? Uh, huh, they recalled everyone. Okay, I'm leaving now. I'll be there in 15." He said quickly before hanging up.

Turning towards the bathroom, Hotch opened the door and pecked his head inside. Pen was in the shower and he smiled inwardly as he saw he outline through the door of the shower. Groaning softly to himself, he wished he didn't have to go. "Penny, I'm leaving. Jack should be up soon, and he shouldn't give you any trouble, he might be a little…" Hotch said before she interrupted him and finished his sentence.

"Grumpy. Aaron, I know. Go now, or you'll be late," she ordered.

"Okay, I'm leaving now. I swear." He said as she reached for the towel. "An hour, Pen. We might need your skills depending on what we find." He finished before closing the door behind him.

xxxxxxxx

Standing in the kitchen, she sipped her coffee as she waited for the pop tarts that were currently in the toaster. Glancing at the clock on the stove, she groaned as she realized how late she was going to be.

"Jackster?" she called from the kitchen. "We need to leave."

"Penny! I can't find my shoes!" Jack answered back as she heard him shuffling about in his room.

She chuckled softly to herself, as she remembered doing this just the other morning. Glancing over by the back door, she saw a small pair of shoes. "They're down here, baby. Hurry, we need to leave."

"Coming!" He said as he came down the stairs putting his backpack on.

"Are you ready to go to Aunt Jessie's?" she asked kneeling down in front of him and fixing his hair. Walking to the kitchen, she grabbed her coffee and Jack's breakfast.

"Yeah! We are going to the park today!" Jack shouted to her while she was in the kitchen.

"Sounds like you are gonna have fun," she said as she grabbed her purse off the kitchen table. "Here's breakfast," Pen said handing him two pop tarts.

Jack looked at the fruit filled pastry wrapped in a paper towel. "Where's my juice?" he asked.

Pen reached into the fridge and pulled out a juice packet. "Cherry or Tropical Punch?" she asked.

"Trop'cal Punch," Jack replied, pointing to the item in Pen's right hand.

"Here you go, Champ."

"Auntie Pen? Can I have two?" Jack asked.

Pen bit her lip. "Jack…"

Jack pouted and gave her a sad look. The same as the one Hotch gave her on occasion. And her heart fell…again.

"Please? I won't tell," he begged with just a whimper in his tone.

Pen shrugged. He had her wrapped around his little blonde finger. "Okay." She thrust the packet at him. "Don't you dare tell you Aunt Jessica or else."

"I won't."

"Do you have everything?" she asked.

"Yep!" he exclaimed with a smile.

"Let's go," she said, grabbing his hand and turning towards the door.

xxxxx


	6. Chapter 5

_First of all, I have to say that I am sooo sorry that it has taken me over a month to post this chapter when I had promised to have it up the 25th of last month. But sometimes life just gets in the way, especially life with a 4 month old. And not only that but always I'm taking 15 credit hours this semester and until recently had three jobs, so reading and writing fanfic, sadly came last. Secondly, I really hope that none of you hate me for leaving you guys hanging for sooo long. And since I have kept you guys waiting so long, I'm gonna say one more thing, then I will hush, so you can get to the story. Lastly, I have more time on my hands now, and I also finally have a direction in mind of the rest of the story, so hopefully my updates will be less spotty until this story is complete._

_So, without further ado, a very overdue chapter dedicated to all my awesome readers!_

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><p>Donning a pair of blue gloves that he retrieved from the SUV's glove box, Hotch slowly made his way past the yellow crime tape roping off the front yard. Except for the sound of the police radios in the distance, and the talking of the neighbors on the street, the area was quiet. Almost an eerie kind of finality.<p>

And he had felt it before. Too many times for him to count. But something about this felt different, a sense of something foreboding, almost evil, looming over that he just couldn't shake.

Snapping the glove on, he flashed his credentials to the officer standing at the front door.

"SSA Aaron Hotchner. My team is already inside," he announced.

"It's pretty bad. Forensics is on the way." The young officer supplied.

Hotch kept his face expressionless. "Let us know when they get here." He said, tucking his credentials back in his breast pocket, he lifted the tape and crossed the threshold. Almost immediately, a chill ran up his spine as a very familiar feeling washed over him. Death and fear.

"Is everything alright, Aaron?" Rossi asked his expression full of concern for his friend.

"Got a little bit of a late start. What do we have?" Hotch asking, searching his friend's eyes for truth.

"Family of four. Mother. Step-father. Two children, both girls." Rossi supplied as he turned away from his friend and led the way through the house.

"How?"

"From what we can gather, the mother was upstairs, asleep and the father was on the couch reading. They were led to the basement. The girls came down last." Rossi informed him as the pair trekked through the living room and toward the kitchen.

"How can you tell?" Hotch asked.

"There was no sign of a struggle. The girls would have done whatever they were told if they thought otherwise would harm their parents."

Hotch started down the steep staircase to the dank, cold basement filled with his team and investigators. Kneeling down, he lifted the first sheet to check on the corpse. The wide eyed dead stare of a girl, not much older than Jack, looked back at him.

Swallowing, hard, he pulled the sheet up.

"Both daughters were sexually assaulted and then stabbed," Prentiss supplied as Hotch surveyed the room.

"Where is the ex-husband?" Hotch asked.

"Kevin Lynch is working on tracking him down," Morgan answered. "You don't think the ex-did this?" Morgan said motioning to the destruction around them.

"John List murdered five members of his family – including his own mother – and then fled," Reid recited from memory.

"But he did not sexually assault his daughter," Prentiss argued. "This was vicious, full of rage. No father could do this to his child."

The team watched as Hotch moved to the next three bodies. Each worse than the last. Standing up, he drew his team close.

"We need to find him. Where ever he is, we need to bring him in and find out what he knows," Hotch instructed. "Until then, JJ, make sure that the names of the victims are not released until we can contract the ex-husband and question him."

"Yes, sir." JJ said as she rushed up the stairs at lightning speed.

"Morgan and Prentiss, I want you to go to the husband's employer and find out what you can about his life, his finances, his background, everything."

"Alright." They both replied.

"Reid, you and Dave, go to the girls' school and find out if there is anything in their history that points towards abuse."

"Agent Hotchner?" A voice called from the top of the stairs. "We found something that you need to see."

Quickly, the team rushed up the stairs.

"What is it?" Hotch asked as he stepped into the kitchen.

"We were going through the other rooms when we found a note, addressed to you."

"To Hotch?" Prentiss asked.

"Where is it?"

"On the bathroom mirror."

"What?" Morgan exclaimed "What do you mean?"

"You'd better come with me," the officer said, leading the way through the house, and up the stairs to the master bathroom. Stepping aside, he led the team to the small enclosure.

Hotch was the last one in.

"What does it mean?" Reid asked, slightly puzzled. His eyes searched Hotch's for an answer.

Hotch's eyes scanned the words written in blood on the otherwise pristine glass.

_If you stop hunting me, I'll stop hunting them. _

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"Foyet is dead," Morgan stated emphatically, his voice rose with anger. "I saw him with my own eyes as they took his sorry ass down to the morgue. I watched as they did the autopsy…"

Garcia looked up at her friend in horror. "Why? Why would you do that?" She whispered.

"Because I wanted to see with my own eyes that that bastard was dead."

"But a… an autopsy, Morgan?" the tech breathed. Her stomach churning violently.

"After all the hell put this team through, that he put Hotch through, I had to make sure for myself. And do you really think that I was going rely on the word of a doctor? Oh, hell no, Baby Girl. I was not going down that road again, especially after he escaped from prison."

"Was he?"

"Was he what, Penelope?" Morgan asked, his voice softened as he looked at the ghost white feature of his best friend.

Garcia swallowed twice as she tried to get up the nerve to ask the most important question of all. "Dead? Was he dead, Morgan?"

"Yes. I saw it with my own eyes."

"Then who…" Her eyes pleading with his for answers. Answers, she dared not ask of the man she loved.

"I don't know. Whoever it is, either wants to mess with us, or just got lucky with that message."

"It's creepy. And I hate creepy." Garcia stated, grabbing her troll doll.

"That's a troll you are getting comfort from," Morgan quipped dryly.

Glancing around the room, she dropped her voice. "Can I tell you something?" she whispered.

Moving in closer, Morgan took her hand. "Anything."

"When… after Shaughnessy died, Aaron- I mean Hotch- asked me to dig up all the information we had on the Boston Reaper. There was a classified ad that said 'If you stop hunting me, I'll stop hunting them'. Shaughnessy contacted the Reaper and that is why he didn't kill for ten years. Shaughnessy took the Reaper's deal."

"Are you sure?"

Garcia nodded. "I saw it."

"Which means…?" Morgan asked, slightly confused at where Garcia was heading.

"Anyone could have seen it." Garcia bit her lip. Morgan sighed and buried his face in his hands. "What?" she asked.

"This just got a whole hell of a lot more complicated."

xxxxxxx

Crossing her legs for the umpteenth time, Garcia checked her watch against the clock on the wall. _Where was he?_

"Come on, Aaron; we still need to pick up Jack from Jess's before going home." she muttered under her breath. Letting out a heavy sigh, she watched through the blinds for the man she loved. "Okay, if you are not here in the next five minutes, I'm going to leave you a note and go pick Jack up myself."

Looking around the desk, she spied a pen. Now she just needed a sheet of paper. Searching the desk top, she came up empty. There had to be a sheet somewhere. That was it, she was getting him a stack of note books tomorrow.

Pulling out the drawer, she fumbled around. A dozen words caught her eyes. Stopping short, she pulled it out and looked at it.

Slowly she tried to comprehend what she was seeing. Then it dawned on her: the names of people Hotch and the team had put away over the years. Just like she had done after Elle got shot, Hotch was keeping tabs on anyone that could eventually pose a threat to his family. Glancing over the sheet quickly, there were many names that she recognized, and some that she didn't, names of monsters that her team had captured. She wasn't exactly sure what made her reach for a scrap piece of paper and start jotting down names, but she figured it couldn't hurt if she did a little investigation of her own, just to put her mind at ease.

_Eugene Flynn, Gabrielle Delgado, Robert Graves, Richard Slessman, Clara Hayes, Karl Arnold, Vincent Perotta, Jeffery Charles, Carl Buford, Nathan Harris, Susan Jacobs, Floyd Feylinn Ferell, Henry Grace, Adam Jackson…._

Hearing footsteps approaching, she quickly replaced the paper and closed the drawer. She shoved the slip of paper into her purse and straightened up just as the door opened.

"Are you ready to go?" Hotch asked as he noticed Garcia perched at his desk with her purse in hand. "I haven't kept you waiting too long, have I?"

"If you didn't show up in the next 5 minutes, I was gonna come find you, and drag you out of the Hoover building myself." Garcia said with a grin.

"Alright, Pen. Let's go home."

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><p><em>Like I have said before, this is my baby. I have been working on this for so long and I would really like to hear from you guys. So feel free to drop a line or two about anything you guys would like to see in this story, or even if you have a guess about the direction the story is taking.<em>

And hopefully I can have the next couple of chapters up for you guys before Monday.


	7. Chapter 6

_As promised, here is the next chapter. I wanted to make sure that I didn't leave you guys hanging off the cliff while I am studying for my massive American History test. The next update will be sometime this week, most likely towards the end, unless my brain gets tired of American History (which it very well could) and decides to kick out another chapter. _

_But first I have to say thanks to my most awesome Beta, and of course all of you guys who are reading, reviewing, alerting and favoriting this story._

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><p>It was late. And it was dark. And Garcia wasn't quite sure what possessed her to sit at the Hotchner dinner table, typing away on her laptop. The only light in the room was that of her computer screen, and there was nothing but silence to assault her ears. A certain type of deadly silence, that brought a sense of gloom to the situation. <em>Deadly<em>, she thought_, Pen, why would you use that word at a time like this?_

Glancing down at the sheet of piece with a list of 14 names, 14 people that terrorized her family, the names stared back at her, as she tried to understand what force had made her scrawl those names down, something in her gut said that she needed to run a check on all of them, just to be safe. She had absolutely no idea what kind of check she need run, but her gut told her that one of these names, one of these people, who in one way or another had sworn revenge against one or all the members of her family could be behind these murders, behind these threats on the man she loves.

_And protocol be damned_, she thought, _I will find out who is doing this, even if it costs me my job_. One by one, she typed the names into her search, searching for some sign of anything out of the ordinary. A few of the names were before her time at the BAU, but she had heard them in passing, and she knew that everyone on this list could be capable of holding this deep of a grudge.

That's what Aaron was doing, just like she had done with the teams every location at any given moment after Elle had been shot. He was keeping tabs on past UNSUBs, anyone that could seek revenge on a member of his team, of their family. Closing her eyes, she feared the worse as the computer beeped once, alerting her that her both of her searches were complete. Scanning the results, she smiled to herself, _I found you, _she thought. She wasn't sure that she would have been able too, but then again she hadn't even tried to find him before now.

"Pen, what are you doing up so late?" Aaron asked softly as he leaned against the archway to the dining room. She hoped that he hadn't noticed her minimize whatever she was working on, but he did. However, he wasn't gonna call her on it, at least not yet.

"Couldn't sleep," she answered as he came up and rested his hands on her shoulders, rubbing lightly.

"Do you want to talk about it?" he asked as he laid a kiss on top of her head. She didn't say a thing, but he felt her shake her head.

"Pen, keeping whatever that it's bothering you all bottled up, isn't gonna make it go away. Please, you can talk to me about anything."

"It's just this case; it has me on edge. I feel like something bad is waiting just around the corner," she whispered as she stood and turned to face him. Silently, they wrapped their arms around each other, and stood together both fearing what could happen today or tomorrow or the next day.

xxxxxxxxxxxx

The team had silently gathered in the conference room, each one staring down at a different piece of the file. The tension was heavy as Garcia entered the room, placing a file on the center of the desk, she waited and watched as Rossi reached for the file, and she waited until he nodded to her, and she spoke.

"I ran the victimology and MO through ViCAP, and came up empty. There were a few cases, but nothing that had any ties to Hotch or anyone on the team and those cases are all outlined in the file," the tech analyst calmly stated. Laying another file on the table, she watched as Hotch reached for it causing a frown to break across her face.

"After looking at the MO, and I know that this isn't my expertise, but I couldn't help shake the feeling that this is something that we have seen before - and it's so obvious - and I feel like it's right there and none of us can see it."

"What are you saying Kitten?" Rossi asked, his eyes darting up from the file to fix her with an intent stare.

"I'm saying that it never hurts to have another pair of eyes. Not that I doubt our abilities to find this…this person," she hurriedly corrected. "But what if this guy or girl is really good and they get the upper hand on us again…" she said, her mind flashing back to memories of Foyet, she took a deep breath before starting again. "I found him, I didn't think I could, but I did…"

"Who did you find, Garcia?" Hotch asked carefully.

"Jason Gideon," Garcia said softly as she glanced around the room at her team. The team watched in silence as Reid pushed his chair back, stood up from the table and left the room. The only noise was the door slamming loudly behind him.

A deadly silence followed as a wave of emotions crossed everyone's face. Some were angered, some hurt, some indifferent. Garcia waited for someone to speak, for someone to say anything.

"I'm so sorry. I shouldn't have done that, I wasn't thinking. I—" she spoke breaking the silence as she willed herself not to cry.

"Oh hell no! I won't work with him. I'm sorry Aaron, but if Gideon's in, I'm out. I respect you as a leader, but I can't do it," Rossi growled as he tried to keep his volume in check, not wanting himself to shout. Slapping his folder closed, he pushed his chair back. He glanced toward Garcia as he stood. His expression held a mixture of anger and disappointment. "That's right, you weren't thinking. After everything that we have been through, I can't believe you have so little faith in me, Kitten, and in your family," he said as he turned towards the door.

"I'm sorry. I was –I thought—I was just trying to help. I won't contact him, it was just a suggestion. Please I didn't mean to make you guys' angry," Garcia stumbled over an apology as the tears fell freely.

"Please don't hate me," she whispered through her tears as she rushed out of the room. Without a single word, Hotch stood up and went after her, leaving a stunned and broken team in their wake.

xxxxxxxxxx

The narrow hallway seemed much narrower than he had remembered as he walked towards Garcia's office, swallowing back the anger that had begun to rise, he pressed on. Standing before her door, he winced as the sound of Pen's muffled sobs reached his ears through the heavy door. Taking a deep breath, he paused before lifting his hand and rapping lightly on the door. He listened as the sobbing abruptly stopped, and the door swung open. Penelope stood in the doorway, hair mussed, puffy eyed, with a mixture of makeup and tears streaming down her face. As soon as she looked up and noticed who had knocked on her door, she went to close the door but Hotch's foot had stopped her.

"Pen, please. Don't. We need to talk," Hotch said softly, still holding the door open as Garcia fought to close it. Turning away from the door, she walked back into her office and lowered herself in her chair.

"They hate me. The team hates me," she sobbed as the dam broke and tears began to flow freely once again. Stepping into her office, Hotch closed the door and quickly crossed the room and knelt before her.

"Pen. Penny. They don't hate you. They're just…hurt."

"I was just trying to help."

"I know Pen, but to them, seeking Gideon's help makes them feel like you don't think they can do their job," Hotch informed her as he placed a tissue in her hand.

"Never once," she cried, before taking a deep breath and continuing, "have I thought that any of you couldn't do your job. Even you, Aaron. After Foyet, when everyone doubted your ability to lead the team, I believed in you. I have always believed in all of you," she finished as she finally made eye contact with the man before her.

"I'm sorry, Penelope, but you really fucked up. The biggest thing on our team is trust, and you broke that trust the moment you even thought about contacting Gideon."

"I was just trying to help!" she cried out plaintively.

"That may be so, Penny. But—'' How could he explain to make her understand that some things were made sacred by an unwritten uniform code?

"But…something bad is going to happen and I was trying to stop it, Aaron! Someone's going to get hurt, and I need to protect my family. You are the only people I have left, " she stated passionately as Hotch soothingly rubbed his thumb across her hand.

"You need to trust us, Pen. All of us, including me. Is this what you were working on last night?" he asked as Pen guilty nodded. "We will catch him, before anything happens to anyone," he assured her.

"But what about –'' she started.

"Pen, this isn't Foyet. I promise we will get him. I won't let anything happen to anyone on the team," Hotch said interrupting her.

"That team includes you too, Aaron. You don't have to be the hero, all the time." She grabbed his hand. "Here you are, with this talk about trust, then trust me to help you find him," Garcia pleaded with him.

"It's not that simple, Pen," Hotch said, pulling his hand from hers and standing up. Mirroring his actions, Garcia stood up.

"What's not simple about it, Aaron? I can help!" Garcia said, her volume rising. "Let us help." She whispered.

"Help! You want to help, Pen? Then help me, by doing the job you've been hire to do!" Hotch stated harshly before storming out of her office.

"Like hell I will," she said to her empty office. Her sadness was replaced by a determined anger.

Left all alone with her thoughts, she decided that she would do whatever it took, rules and regulations be damned; she would find the son of a bitch before he ever got his hands on her family.


	8. Chapter 7

_Just a couple of quick things before I shut up and let you guys read._

_First of all, I just want to say that I am sorry for the lack of posting, but first I was sick, then I had loads and loads of homework and then of course, I got sick AGAIN. But that's all over now, and I am GOING to be posting more and that's a promise. And because of my lack of posting, I am working on a super special Hotch/Garcia story, since there isn't enough out there, so keep your eyes peeled for it._

_Secondly, I want to say thanks for nominating this story for Profiler's Choice Awards. Now, I'm not going to beg for votes, I am just happy to be nominated. And that's thanks to you, all of my awesome readers. And I can't say thanks enough, because you guys and of course my pushy beta are what keep me motivated to write stories in the first place._

_And lastly, the fact that you guys rock and continue to review, favorite and alert this story is the reason that this chapter is dedicated to all of you. _

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><p>Hotch was busy looking over the police reports from the murder, when he glanced up, he saw Dave exit his office and head towards the war room. Hotch mulled over his thoughts as he gathered his files. There was something familiar about the way the bodies had been placed, something that was nagging for him to notice, but maybe his talk with Pen had clouded his judgment. Still, he couldn't shake the feeling that he had seen this all before. Even worse than the nagging feeling he felt, was the feeling of dread that he felt as he once again found himself in the crosshairs and ultimately helpless to fate.<p>

Absolutely nothing could change the feeling he got when he thought about the note written in the young girl's blood. The message had been directed at him, and that thought alone made his blood like ice.

xxxxxxxxxx

As Hotch entered the war room, he noticed everyone sitting around the table – everyone but one vital member of the team… the member that he needed – like he needed air. Focusing his attention on the team, he tried to push his conversation with Pen to the back of his mind.

"What do we have?" Hotch asked diplomatically as he sat down at the end of the table and took the computer file. Carefully, he tabbed the file and scanned the information.

"The ex-husband was located in St. Louis and the cops are bringing him in later today," Morgan informed them as the man's picture appeared on screen. "How are we going to approach this?" he asked.

"I think we should wait before we tell him about his family," Rossi stated simply.

"What do you mean?" JJ asked.

"We have to interrogate him and find out what he knows before we tell him that his family is dead," Rossi said matter of fact.

"He has every right to know that his family is dead," JJ protested.

"If he's behind this, he already knows," Hotch supplied.

"You think he did this?" Emily asked carefully.

"Think about it, he would have been able to control the children, and he's physically imposing enough to subdue the mother and step-father." Morgan said before adding "I've seen fathers lose it and in a fit of rage wipe out their entire family and then go on like nothing happened. We've had more than our fair share of cases like that," He said, his mind flashing back to one case in particular.

"But not to inform him…" JJ's voice trailed off.

"I agree with Dave, we interrogate him first," Hotch stated and set the computer pad down.

"Okay, so who does it?" Morgan questioned.

"The only one who can sympathize directly with being apparent," Rossi said as his eyes swung to the blonde. "JJ"

xxxxxxxxx

Hotch stood stone-faced as he, Rossi and Morgan watched the ex-husband violently vomit into the trash can that JJ supplied at the last minute. Hotch had hoped that when JJ showed him the crime scene photos, that the man would break, however he didn't imagine the reaction that followed.

"I guess that would eliminate him as our UNSUB," Rossi quipped.

"Now what do we do? We're back at square one," Morgan stated as he cursed under his breath.

"Maybe Garcia was right…" Hotch said with a sigh.

"No, Aaron." Rossi said stopping his friend, as he held up his hand, "We don't need Gideon. That would do more harm than good right now. We CAN do this. Whoever this jack off is, we WILL find him."

xxxxxxxxxx

Leaning back against the wall, he clicked off the TV as the reporter moved on to the next story, a robbery at a local convenient store. He should have felt insulted but what the hell- it had been the top story with no suspects, no leads and little evidence – how could they follow that?

He shouldn't feel smug, but he was. And he felt triumphant, he was winning. Who would have thought he had it in him? But did it feel good.

And now he had the FBI on his tail. And the BAU. That beloved team of riff raffs that thought they knew the criminal mind inside and out. Only they weren't as good as they thought, and when they realized who was behind it all, it would be too late to save Aaron Hotchner from the fate he had planned for him.

Maybe if he was lucky, he could get a few of his team to join him on the journey to hell.

Oh, yeah and he had it all planned. He just had to draw Aaron Hotchner out just a little further before he would step right into his trap and he was going to start with Hotchner's woman…. What was her name? Oh yeah, Penelope Garcia. He had been watching them for weeks, planning. And even though he never took Aaron Hotchner for one to love the curvier girls, he could see how much Aaron loved her. Even a blind man could see just how much they meant to each other. And he was going to use this against him.

Moving his hand to the side, he picked up the photo of a blonde boy with a dimpled smile and a superman backpack. _Jack Hotchner_.

The best and fastest way to get the BAU to trip up: get them to concentrate on the right hand, then BAM! Hit them with the left! And what better way to get a fox into the hen house than to get someone to leave the door open accidentally.

And how more accidental than through the innocence of a child?

He had watched them enough; he knew what he needed to do. In order to lure Aaron Hotchner out and into his trap, he would have to target his family. And unlike his partner before him, he would succeed and he would live to talk about it.

And what a sweet victory that would be.


	9. Chapter 8

_I AM A HORRIBLE UPDATER! And I am sorry, but I want to thank you all for sticking with me and still reading this story. And I promise that I will try to keep updating more often because I want to have this story finished before the new year begins. And at least wanted to about a couple more times before college finals week started, so look for the updates coming your way soon._

_Anyways, I don't have much to say, EXCEPT, throughout the story I have been dropping little clues about who the unsub and his partner could be, now in this chapter is the biggest clue yet, so keep your eyes peeled and pay attention. __So put on your thinking caps and see if you can figure out who is after Hotch._

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><p>Jack Hotchner had two things on his mind as he stepped off the school bus: going on the fishing trip with his dad and Uncle Dave tomorrow, and showing the "A" he got on his science test - all thanks to his Aunt Pen.<p>

Loudly his stomach rumbled. Okay, make that three things on his mind. He knew that his Aunt Penny would be at the bus stop waiting for him, it was their routine, and they always walked together. So when he arrived at the bench, and she wasn't sitting where she always was, he didn't know what to do. But he did know that he was hungry and their house was only a 5 minute walk from the park.

He had never done anything like this and he hoped his daddy wasn't going to be too mad at him. He knew it wasn't that long of a walk, and he knew exactly how to get there, so it wasn't like he could lost. Clutching the straps of his backpack tighter, he turned onto his street. He could see the big tree in front of his building, and he knew that he was almost home. They didn't live on a busy street, so there weren't too many people in front of his building, just a man and a couple of teenagers walking past, and he wouldn't have given them a second thought, until the man spoke.

"Hi, Jack! How are you?" the stranger greeted with a cordial smile.

Clutching his book bag, Jack paused. He had been taught not to talk to strangers but he had never actually been approached by one. Until now.

"How do you know my name?" Jack asked cautiously. He was the son of a famed profiler, but he wasn't sure how to trust his gut.

"You are Jack Hotchner, right? Your dad is Aaron Hotchner? He works for the FBI...?" the stranger inquired.

Jack's eyes widened with surprise. "You know my dad?"

"You could say that." The stranger's smile was benevolent - almost friendly.

"So you're friends?" Jack hesitated.

The stranger winked. "We go a bit deeper than friends. I also know your Uncle Spencer and Aunt Emily."  
>Jack let out his breath. If the stranger knew his aunt and uncle, then he wasn't a stranger any longer. He began to relax.<p>

"You do?"

"Sure, you could say that I even worked with them once or twice."

"Cool!" Jack exclaimed.

"Jack, if I gave you a letter could you give it to your dad for me?" The stranger asked as he reached into his pocket and pulled out a simple white envelope.

"My dad says that I'm not supposed to take anything from strangers," Jack told the man.

"That's good," the stranger complimented. "Your dad is right, you never know who you could be talking to. But I think what I have might be able to help your dad with a case that he is working on."

"Really?" Jack asked, a smile on his face, he would be able to help his dad catch the bad guy.

"Sure, so what do you say, think you can make an exception?" The stranger asked with a crooked smile as he held the envelope in front of the small boy.

Xxxxxxxxxx

Penelope Garcia was frantic! Or maybe frantic was an understatement, but all she knew was that she had waited at the bus stop for Jack, and he didn't get off the yellow school bus. She had looked around while trying to keep the fear at bay. But with every second that Jack didn't appear, she knew two things: Jack was gone and Aaron Hotchner was going to kill her.

Frantically she hurried up the streets - her eyes scanning and searching every object to see if Jack was behind it. Peering against the bright sun, her eyes swam with tears, but she was sure she made out a blonde boy in the distance. Her heart stopped. Instinctively, she went toward the boy.

"Aunt Penny! Aunt Penny!" Jack yelled as he saw her walking towards their building.

"Jack!" She shouted as she rushed towards him, bumping into a man on the street. "Oh, I'm sorry," she said to the man, making eye contact for just a second as she brushed past him.

"Not a problem, Penelope," the man said casting one last backwards glance as he walked away from the woman and the boy.

Coming to a stop in front of Jack, she knelt down and quickly embraced him. Pulling back slightly, she looked at Jack with fear written across her face. "Jack, you know you aren't supposed to go walking off by yourself."

"But you weren't at the bus stop, Aunt Penny."

"I know baby, and I'm so sorry but it took me a little longer at work than I thought. I thought I was on time and you'd wait," her words rushed out in a jumble. The adrenaline that had propelled her forward was leaving her drained and emotional. "It's not your fault and you're not in trouble, but promise that you won't do that again," she said quickly, running her fingers through his hair.

"I'm sorry Aunt Penny. I promise," Jack replied as he wrapped his arms around her neck and hugged her as tight as he could.

xxxxxxxx

The stranger stood just across the street watching as Hotchner's woman interacted with his son, and what a sight it was. He had watched them for days, weeks even, and he knew everything about them. How they lived and especially how they loved. The bond between them was stronger, stronger than he had thought, and this would work to his advantage, because the harder they loved, the harder they would all fall. The fierceness of this family's love would be their downfall. And with this information, he knew that he would finally succeed where his partner had not.

Each day he watched them, his plan just got stronger and more defined, he had everything written down and carefully planned out. His plan was simple, just like he had done to the ones before this; he would have to show them exactly what happens when the father can't protect his own family.

With a devilish grin, he turned and started walked, he had seen enough, and he knew his plan couldn't wait any longer. He also knew that the note that young Jack Hotchner had clutched in his hand would be exactly the thing he would need to break Aaron Hotchner once and for all.


	10. Chapter 9

_I had really been struggling with how to do this chapter, and with last week being finals week, I just kinda let this chapter slip my mind until the other night while I was watching 'Omnivore' for like the millionth time. So then at like 2am this idea came to me. _

_I guess that I should tell everyone to hold on tight, we are getting ready to reach the climax and the ride might get a little bumpy, but don't forget to keep your eyes peeled for clues about who the UNSUB, because he is going to be revealed soon. _

_And one last thing before I shut up, so you can read... My last two exams of the semester are tomorrow, so after that updating shall be more frequent and keep your eyes peeled for a couple other stories that I have in mind. _

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><p>Jack burst out of his room and ran down the hallway towards the kitchen as soon as he heard his father's voice echo through the apartment. His dad hadn't been home before bedtime last night, but Jack couldn't have cared less as he rounded the corner that morning..<p>

"Daddy!" he shouted as he launched himself into his father's open arms for a big bear hug that he wasn't too ashamed to say that he loved getting. His father's arms were strong and wide and made him feel so safe.

"Hey Bud," Hotch said, pulling Jack tight. "How'd you sleep?" Hotch asked as he sat Jack on a stool at the counter as Penelope stood at the stove, making breakfast.

"Good. Aunt Penny read me a bedtime story, and guess what, Dad?" Jack said with a little dimpled smile, mirroring his own.

"What?" Hotch played along. He lived for the smiles that Jack gave him every day. It made everything else in his life - even the crimes - a little more tolerable. He could face anything as long as Jack smiled.

"She made all the voices!" Jack said with a giggle.

"Did she?" Hotch asked, glanced at Penelope as she cracked a smile.

"Enough of this silly talk, boys, it's time for grub," she said, setting a plate in front of each of them.

xxxxxx

"Jack, make sure to grab your homework too!" Pen shouted from the kitchen after she informed the boy that he was once again making them late and that he couldn't miss his bus. Jack quickly grabbed his homework before running to the living room. Plopping down on the couch, Jack sat his homework beside him as he reached for his shoes. After slipping them on and attaching the Velcro, he grabbed his homework. When he looked to make sure he had everything, he realized that he forgot to give his Dad the letter.

"Dad!" he shouted as he took off towards the master bedroom, ignoring Penelope's calls after him. "Dad!" he shouted again as he burst into the room.

"Yes, Jack?" Hotch asked patiently as he stood in front of the mirror with a green tie and a blue tie in his hands.

"I forgot to give you this," Jack said as he held out the letter.

"What is it?" Hotch asked looking at his son in the mirror. Setting the ties on the dresser, he turned to look at his son.

"It's a letter; the man told me that it would help you solve the case," Jack said causing his father to whip around. Hurrying over to his son, he grabbed the letter as he felt his blood run cold.

"Jack, go watch cartoons," Hotch ordered softly, trying to keep his emotions in check.

"But, Dad, I have to go to school," Jack stated matter of fact. "The bus…"

"It's okay Buddy, you are going stay with Aunt Penny and I today, okay?" Hotch asked, watching as Jack eagerly nodded before running off to the living room. He barely could hear Jack tell Penelope that he wasn't going to school, because the sound of his heart beating pounded in his ears.

Following his son's path, Hotch clenched his fists as he walked into the kitchen. Penelope quickly found him, standing beside the sink with an envelope in his hand, and a look on his face that she couldn't identity. She had never seen him look like this before, and she wasn't sure what or how she was supposed to feel as she watched him.

"The UNSUB gave this letter to Jack to give to me," Hotch said quietly, as Penelope emitted a few colorful words before sitting on the kitchen stool.

He could hear the pounding of his heart in his chest as he stared down at the stark white envelope, and he was sure that Penelope could hear it too. She sat at the counter opposite of him, with a look of terror written across her face. He gently slides his index finger under the flap, seemingly prolonging the inevitable.

As he lifted the flap, he couldn't help but glance across the counter at her, looking for something - some sort of hope - but instead he found fear. Looking down at the letter in his hand, he waits. The agent inside him knows that he needs to open the letter, but the man, the father, the lover inside him is scared. Pushing his fears aside, he opened the letter. Both he and Penelope watch as a photo falls from the folding piece of paper and falls face down on the counter. Taking a deep breath, he reads the letter aloud:

"_I have stood in the shadows for weeks, watching. My hands can't stay idle forever._

_You won't be strong enough to save them. You can't protect them, no one can."_

With his free hand, Hotch grabbed the photo of the counter. His heart stopped, he couldn't breathe and he swore his vision was blurred, but before the panic, he knows that he saw two very familiar blondes in that photo. Stretching his hand out, he hands it to Penelope. He watches as she takes the photo with shaking hands.

"Oh god," she gasped, her hands immediately covering her mouth. Walking quickly to her, Hotch took the photo and set in on the counter before wrapping his arms around her tightly. A strangled sob escaped her throat as she wrapped her arms around him as well. He had been here once before, but he still didn't know what to say. He wanted to tell her that everything will be okay, but this is Penelope Garcia, could he really lie to her?

"I will protect you, Penny. I promise," he promised, dropping a kiss into her hair. She tried to speak, but no words came out, only sobs. Her tears traced lines down her face before falling onto his gray shit.

"What happens now?" she murmured against his chest.

"I don't know," he answered honestly.


	11. Chapter 10

_I normally have some author's notes for you guys. Luckily for you, this time I really don't have any. But I do have to say that things are just gonna get crazier from here, so be prepared. Oh, and I had to post this chapter because if I didn't flashpenguin said that she would plague my sleep with horrific nightmares. So to avoid whatever nightmares her evil mind can conjure, here's the next chapter._

* * *

><p>There was an eerie silence that had fallen over the elevator; the only sound that could be heard were the three occupants breathing - and an occasional sniffle from Garcia that seemed to coincide with the dinging of each passing floor. Reaching the BAU, the doors opened and Hotch quickly stormed out and towards the bullpen. Grabbing Jack's hand, Penelope rushed to keep up with Hotch, her heels harshly clicking against the tiled floor. Noticing the pair behind him struggling to keep up with his long strides, Hotch stopped and waited in front of the glass doors before resting his hand softly on the small of Penelope's back. Then he led his small family through the bullpen and toward his office.<p>

Both he and Penelope had noticed the many looks that they had received as they moved through the bullpen. He hadn't even tried to mask the look of panic on his face as he ushered Garcia and Jack into his office and closed the door. Standing at the blinds, Hotch peeked through the blinds out toward the bullpen at his team standing with looks of concern and worry etched across their faces.

"Daddy," Jack said, pulling Hotch from his trance.

"Yeah Buddy?" Hotch said turning to face his son.

"Someone's at the door," the boy said with a giggle.

"Thanks," Hotch managed softly to his son before he opened the door. Before he had even opened the office door completely, Rossi had already moved into the office. "Sure, Dave, come right on in," Hotch said sarcastically.

"No need for sarcasm, Aaron. And I don't mind that I do," Dave said as he ruffled Jack's blonde hair, earning a giggle and 'stop Unca Dave' from the boy. "What brings you here today? Are you going to learn to be a G-Man like your dad?"

"Dad said I didn't have to go to school because I had to come here today," Jack replied excitedly.

"Is that so?" Dave raised his eyebrow and looked at his friends. Something was going on and he was going to get to the bottom of it. Fast. Reaching into his back pocket, he pulled out his wallet. Extracting a couple of bills, he handed them to his godson. "For later."

Jack took the money, his face beamed. "Thank you, Uncle Dave."

"Jack and I are going to head to the lair, so you boys can talk in private," Garcia said, grabbing her purse and then Jack's hand.

"Pen…" Hotch said softly, reaching out a hand and resting it softly on her shoulder. "I l— I meant what I said earlier."

"I know, boss man." She reached up and covered his hand with her own. "Come on Jackers," she said. Then the pair left the office. Hotch watched as they disappeared out of sight before turning to his best friend.

"Aaron, what's going on?" Rossi asked as he took a seat across from his friend. Without a word, Hotch reached inside his suit pocket and pulled out an envelope with his named scrawled across the front. He silently handed the letter to his friend with shaky hands.

"What's this?" Rossi questioned, as he removed the contents from the envelope.

"He talked to my son," Hotch said softly, "That son of a bitch talked to my son."

"Jack delivered this to you? From the UNSUB?" Rossi asked. Hotch just nodded. Unfolding the letter, Rossi read the words that were now etched into Hotch's brain. He pushed back the tears as Rossi lifted the photo up for a closer look.

"They're his targets, Dave," Hotch thundered, slamming his fist down on the desk causing a harsh echo to fill the room as the tension and the anger built up inside of him. He couldn't just let it go - that wasn't in his nature - and now he was going to have to redirect it and let the team in, too. He could feel himself sinking.

"We will stop him. We won't let anything happened to them, Aaron." Rossi offered. There was promise in his tone - along with an underlying threat - but there was also hope.

"We couldn't stop Foyet from getting to Haley," Hotch said quietly.

"I know. But that was different. We're smarter and we learned our lesson."

Hotch tried to fight down the panic building in his chest. "I can't lose her—them, Dave. I won't bounce back this time."

"You love her," Rossi stated knowingly. So simple. A grin danced across his lips.

"I love her," Hotch echoed. He looked at his best friend. "What?"

"Have you told her that yet?" Rossi asked with a pointed look.

"What do you think, Dave?"

"I think you are scared."

"Profiling me?" Hotch asked with a hollow chuckle.

"It's a hard habit to break. Hell, Aaron, I taught you everything that I know; all the ins and outs of criminal profiling and how to be a leader. But then I look at you with a second chance at happiness in your hands and I feel like I've failed because you are too scared to say exactly what needs to be said."

"What are you saying, Dave? That I should throw caution to the wind and declare my love when there is a chance that this time I may not see it through?"

"Choice is yours. All I'm saying is: don't turn into me. Sometimes the third time is not the charm, Trust me, I know."

"I hate you."

Dave rolled his eyes and gave a grin. "Not as much as you'll hate yourself if you don't say those words."

"It's different with her. I mean, Penelope is unique…"

'That she is," Dave agreed.

"I never meant for this to happen."

"With her? Or anyone?"

"Both." Hotch took the letter and picture and shoved them back in the envelope. "I swore that I would never put another woman in the line of fire again. Then…" He shook his head.

"The person you never thought would be the 'one' managed to crawl over that wall you built around your heart and slip inside."

"Something like that. This can't be happening again."

"But it is. So, what are you going to do about it?" Dave demanded. "You can't hide them out at the FBI, and if this guy has gotten close enough to give this to Jack, he knows your routine." Dave sat down across from Hotch. "I think you know what comes next."

"We have to bring the team in."

"And your secret? How are you going to break it to the team?" Dave wondered.

"I don't know."

"Derek is going to flip when he finds out that his 'baby girl' is in the crosshairs of a Foyet copycat. You may not have to worry about some psychopath getting to you if anything happens to her."

Hotch gave a wry grin. "I know." He walked back to the window and looked out at the bullpen. "I guess we have no choice at this point but to bring them in and start a preliminary profile."

"I'll meet you in ten minutes in the war room." He stood up. He walked to Hotch and laid a hand on his shoulder. "It's going to be alright," he comforted. "We're going to get this scumbag and we won't let anything happen to your family again."

"Thanks Dave." Hotch wanted to believe but his gut was screaming the exact opposite.

"Get the team." Dave left the room.


End file.
